Holiday Shoppers Bargain Hunting

With Black Friday a week away, cash-strapped Americans are planning to spend smarter over the holiday shopping season with an eye for bargains in stores and online online, a survey by MasterCard shows.

Nearly 30 percent of 1,000 consumers polled said they will be looking for deals from retailers like never before, the New York-based credit card company said. More than a quarter said they plan to take advantage of sales on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving marking the official start of the holiday shopping season.

While younger shoppers were expecting to wake up early on Friday to beat the crowds, those 35 and older said they were more likely to stay home and browse the Web for online discounts, the survey found.

More than half of the respondents said they planned to buy prepaid gift cards this year, ahead of clothes, toys, games and sporting goods.

"With
bargain hunting on the rise and Americans looking at a variety of cost-cutting and practical giving strategies, the 2008 holiday season is all about the smart shopper," Rob Sheets, a director at MasterCard, said in a statement.